Twenty Days till Sundown
by Travesti
Summary: Love is moderation. Don't you agree? What he felt was merely romanticized idolatry, maybe tainted with a little lust. But not love. No, not love. But happiness is fleeting and everyone is chasing their own happiness. So no one can blame him for enjoying it while it lasts. [Sasunaru]
1. T Minus 20 Days

**Twenty Days till Sundown**

 **Chapter 1 T Minus 20 Days**

* * *

Twenty days left.

Twenty days till the end of this relationship. That was all he could promise himself, for his own sanity. It didn't matter that his chest stung at the thought. He always kept his promises.

In the meantime, he continued dicing the fresh vine-tomatoes to add to the Bolognese sauce simmering on the stove. It would be chicken tagiatelle for dinner tonight.

He liked cooking. It gave his hands something to do and kept away those messy thoughts, though not for long. The fleeting peace of mind would soon slip through his hands. It never stayed long enough these days. Instead, those thoughts would come back, haunt him until he drowned in that dark, depressing abyss.

He was interrupted by the loud click of the door, followed by a familiar "Naruto, you there?" The rustling of cloth and the loud unmistakable thud of a briefcase could be heard.

"Rough day at the office today. Some moron thought it was 'bring your kid to work day' and let his kid roam around the lounge room unsupervised."

The footsteps continued into the kitchen, where Naruto was stirring the sauce into a nicely reddened hue and added the minced chili peppers. At the pause, Naruto grunted to show he was listening.

"Yeah, he thought it was funny when his kid switched the sugar by the espresso machine with salt."

"Seriously?" Naruto gave a weak chuckle.

"He didn't even apologize to the dozen clients who had their coffee ruined. This is why I take my coffee black."

Naruto paused, the knife in his grip halted in its descent. Naruto felt their arms brush as the raconteur leaned on the counter next to where Naruto was chopping red onions for the salad. He suppressed a shiver, painfully aware of their proximity. The intruder leaned even closer, raven black locks brushing the tan skin of Naruto's nape.

A warm breath tickled the back of his neck, as the man whispered lowly, "Are you alright?"

Startled, Naruto jumped back. A mistake on his part. Sharp pain burst from his hand but he didn't make a noise. The knife clattered onto the tiled floor, red drops forming on its surface from where it trickled down from his arm.

"Shit, Naruto!"

Sasuke immediately grabbed his arm and staunched the flow with a nearby cloth.

"Hold onto that. Put pressure on it. I'm going to get the first aid kit."

Dazed from the sight of the bloodied knife, the blond remained shock-still as the other hurried back with his wares. He was pulled to a kitchen stool while the raven pulled out alcohol swabs and gingerly dabbed at the wound. The onion-alcohol mixture stung, but Naruto didn't notice the tears streaming down his face until Sasuke looked up in concern. He sniffed and hastily swiped the sleeve of his good arm over his face.

Sasuke reserved that look of concern for him. Though he hadn't seen it much as of late. Why did Sasuke have to be gentle to him? The bastard constantly gave him mixed signals. It was unfair. It made him unable to help but question if the bastard really took their relationship seriously. Well, ' _relationship_ ' is a selective term.

He looked away as Sasuke finished bandaging the cut. Though it ran a couple inches long, thankfully it was only a surface wound and wouldn't need stitches. Naruto murmured his thanks and dried his wet face with the rest of the towel that wasn't tarnished by blood.

But before he could stand from his seat, Sasuke had a firm hold on his shoulder and was staring at him meaningfully. He always _was_ a man of few words.

Naruto sighed. "It's fine. It was the onions. And the alcohol stung." He shrugged absently as if to dismiss the subject, offering a lame, "It hurts."

Just as he'd predicted, Sasuke accepted the explanation with a mute nod. It was their way. Sasuke wouldn't pry any further into such an uncomfortable subject. It wasn't that the bastard didn't care. Sasuke was just emotionally constipated. Probably. Well, that or Sasuke was blind to the obvious lie, which wasn't likely.

Naruto took his time changing out of his henley, being extra careful not to jolt his arm. When he finally turned back to his cooking, he didn't look back at Sasuke but wordlessly accepted his help when the knife was taken from his hands. It seemed almost surreal to be silently cooking side-by-side the bastard. But the rhythmic chop of the knife and the bubbling of the mellowed pasta sauce put his mind at ease. Cooking always did that for him. Maybe he had been a cook in another lifetime.

Leaving the salad to Sasuke, he deemed the noodles to be just past al dente. Finishing with a garnish of grated, well-aged Beaufort cheese, he set aside the pastas as best he could with a stinging hand. The oven timer went off just in time, and he plated the garlic bread as Sasuke set up the table.

"Wine?"

"In the grocery bag on the counter."

"Bourgogne Blanc." Sasuke noted. "I don't remember you having such girly tastes."

"Oh shut up!" Naruto laughed. For once, he appreciated Sasuke's ability to ignore things and move on. It made it easier to forget about the embarrassment himself.

They had a quiet dinner with idle chitchat, as per norm. Politics, movies, city construction; never personal lives. Although they knew basic information like where the other worked, they never discussed heavy or personal topics. That wasn't their way.

After cleaning up, Sasuke followed him to bed, taking the lead and pushing the blonde headlong into the pillows. As always, Naruto let him. A flame of passion overtook him and exploded in his chest in a way that was painful. The raven-haired man was frighteningly beautiful. Merely looking into his intense gaze filled Naruto with a deep lust, the pounding of his heart drowning out any other thoughts. But that's all there ever was: lust.

After the fit of passion, his guest would always leave right away. He never stayed.

Naruto sighed as he came down from his high. The quiet click of the door told him all he needed to know. Tonight would be just as lonely as last night. And the night before that. And before that. Resting his forearm on his burning eyes, he willed himself to sleep.

He wouldn't kid himself. What he felt was merely romanticized idolatry, maybe tainted with a little lust. But not love. No, not love.

* * *

A/N: Gah. I'm sorry the first publish was so cringe I had to redo it. Story's revamped. Tadah!

P.S. Comment what you'd like to see more of: Naruto kicking names and taking butts, Sasuke on his knees (Oooh kinky!), or Itachi being awesome!


	2. Running on Empty

**Twenty Days till Sundown**

 **Chapter 2 Running on Empty**

* * *

T Minus 19 Days

Dim light from the too-old street lamps flickered into existence as he pulled into the small side street and expertly maneuvered his Volkswagen into the minuscule parking space. There was plenty of space for parking all along that street, but that space - so impossibly small that it seemed as though pinched into existence - was _his space_ , reserved for him alone. Well, for him and his 'baby,' or as his friends called it, the red-hulking-monstrosity-that-belonged-in-a-museum. How they came up with that name, he would never understand. It wasn't even that large, just that there was a chronic lack of space in the trunk, so he'd had to attach a trunk to the top of his Volkswagen Beetle, which balanced precariously over the sleek red hood, which - admittedly - was in desperate need of a wash.

So what if the model was discontinued or the make of the car was outdated? The classy exterior - _much better than the New Beetle, mind you_ \- combined with the sleek, custom orange-and-beige leather interior was admittedly attention-grabbing in all the right ways. Normally, Naruto didn't like to stand out too much, but it was love-at-first-sight for him. It was _the perfect car_.

Thus, as he stepped out of his baby into the dewy morning air, he felt rejuvenated. Not even the stars winking at him in the god-forsaken hours of morning - when nobody should be awake - nor the lack of coffee could stall his brilliant grin. With crisp steps and that unwavering smile, he strode to the dusky edifice that was his office. In daylight, it was a gorgeous architectural marvel, commissioned by him in a tasteful combination of renaissance and avant-garde elements. The delightful melody of _Sunday Morning_ by _K-OS_ \- another one of his unique implements to "make things more homey" as he often told his staff - of the unlocking system resounded in the quiet street, and he bounded over the threshold.

He made a beeline for the caffeinated goodness in the kitchen - installed just for such purposes - and soon the aroma of coffee filled the workspace. Humming slightly out of tune, he retreated to his private office on the second floor, which doubled as a studio and settled down on the comfy sofas to work on his more creative projects.

This, was how his coworkers had found him, 3 hours later. He lay belly-down on the floor, having run out of space on the coffee table, with designs and empty coffee mugs littering the floorspace about him.

"Naruto," Gaara called when the blond had yet to stop muttering to himself, obviously not noticing their entry.

Naruto started and sheepishly rubbed his neck in apology. "Hey Gaara, d'you just get here?"

"Yes," the redhead answered, then paused. "You should go wash your face."

"Okay!" The blond cheered, jumping up past his friend on the way to the bathroom. It was a good thing he had listened too, since, as he looked in the mirror, he noticed the faint inked markings of one of his designs on his cheek. Evidence from lying on his designs, no doubt. Then again, it was always good to listen to Gaara. When he returned to his study, Gaara had collected all the papers and cups from the floor, putting them in neat piles on his desk.

"Thanks Gaara!" Naruto smiled, and reached for his friend in a one-armed hug, rubbing his face into Gaara's simple burgundy turtleneck.

"Stop it. Your hands and face are still wet."

"Oops," he laughed. "You caught me!"

Gaara heaved a long-suffering sigh and turned to their two pattern-makers in the room who had been to busy bickering to take any notice.

"Sasori. Deidara. Stop arguing and get to work."

Deidara stopped mid-sentence. "Fine! I'll prove to you my designs are better. We'll ask Gaara to judge after, then you'll have to admit it. Yeah!"

"Fine," Sasori said gruffly. Despite being his cousin, everyone knew that Gaara was infallibly unbiased when it came to work. There was no bribing or threatening the man. That settled, the two print-makers walked back to their desks and settled down for the day's work.

Gaara heaved another sigh. Now to persuade his friend to take a break from working himself to death. Sure, it was what made _Jinchuuriki_ a name in the fashion industry, but that was unnecessary now. Now they had more than enough to expand, hire others to do the small-time work in their stead. But Naruto wanted to keep a small boutique instead, preferring to make unique creations instead of mass-producing the popular items. And as far as Gaara knew, what Naruto wanted, he got. If through persistence alone.

"Naruto, take a break."

"Hmm?" The blond had stealthily made his way back to the drawing board behind his desk, where he was deliberating old and new designs.

"You've been more obsessed with this design than Dr. Frankenstein. You need a break."

"Gaara," Naruto turned his puppy dog eyes to his friend and confidant, whining, "but I have to finish this for the competition."

"The due date isn't for another two weeks. You know you can crank out at least 5 within that timeframe. But if you keep overworking yourself, you won't be able to finish anything."

"Fine." Naruto pouted. He knew a losing argument when he saw one.

Rather than let his friend stew and sulk, Gaara grabbed his arm and manhandled him into the spare room that had been converted into a bedroom for his personal use. Pushing him onto the mattress, the redhead turned back to the door.

"Stay." He said just before closing the door on his friend's shocked face with a quiet and final 'click.'

Naruto slowly closed his gaping maw. He didn't want to 'stay.' He didn't want to rest and he _most certainly_ didn't want to be alone with his thoughts. He came early to work just to escape them. But, he sighed, Gaara really knew best. He could just feel the strain of keeping his eyes open. Maybe he would relax, just this once.

* * *

He could have authored " _101 Ways to Murder Your Colleagues_ " in the 5 minutes after he was woken by a loud screech and all-too-crude cussing.

Which, was why the five people in the vicinity chose to keep their sarcastic remarks to themselves when Naruto burst out of his unofficial bedroom with a loud roar that sounded entirely too squeaky to be intimidating.

"Naruto." Gaara intoned.

The huffing and puffing blond swivelled to face his friend.

"I've reviewed your designs and set aside my choices for the competition. You can look them over after lunch." With that, Gaara dragged the blond to the kitchen and proceeded to ignore him while he made them both sandwiches. Although, he watched with well-hidden amusement when Naruto deflated in his peripheral vision. His charismatic friend could never stay mad when the object of his anger wasn't there. It was a part of his charm.

"Here." He set the plate of braised beef brisket with pesto, mozzarella, and Sriracha hummus in front of him. Spicy, just how Naruto liked it. (And the blond lit up like a child, a grin threatening to break his face.) Then, made his own pulled turkey chilli sandwich with pickles. He had to admit; designating a kitchen and lounge room on the ground floor was one of Naruto's best ideas.

"Good food inspires great designs!" His friend had said before scrawling whatever the hell he wanted on the once-pristine office blueprints.

They enjoyed a comfortable silence as they finished their respective lunches before Naruto bounded up the stairs to his studio to look at Gaara's picks.

"Gaara! Hurry up!" He called, resembling a hyper child urging his mother to go faster. Gaara cringed at the thought. _That_ was one role he didn't want to fit into.

Naruto wasted no time hustling his staff into the studio room for their opinions. He had set the three crude designs against the drawing board and pulled out a pad to take down suggestions.

The first from the left was a two-toned, sleek-looking blazer, with hidden seams and pockets. The collar was a dark grey and black wide-peak lapel, the grey highlighting the broad shoulders. The edge of the cuffs were also of the same grey. The tail ends trailed to mid-thigh, although the frontispiece was of moderate length, but tapered off along the centre-fold to seem slimming. One hidden button held the piece together. This was paired with a straight tab-collar black-lined shirt piece that was done up with hidden buttons along the length.

The middle design was a simple white button down with a black mandarin collar, just visible behind a wide draped-neck sweater with looser material around the shoulders. It seemed to emphasize the neckline. The shirt had 3/4 length bell sleeves, as though inspired by the kimono, but the excess material could fold be pinned by a button at the cuff.

The last was a grey-lined cross between a tab and swan neck shirt. It seemed to be designed for unisex wear, or for a very feminine man. Naruto took a more liberal approach to this piece. Although the piece was structured, with wire frames along the sides, there was a cut of loose material that extended like an open curtain from the upper back to mid-thigh. There were the sleek, traditional folds down both sides, but the piece was sleeveless. An optional leather belt, which matched the lining along the neck, tied the piece together.

After a round of 'oohs' and 'ahs,' Naruto blushed and sheepishly rubbed his head in a familiar gesture.

"They're just rough drafts," he said. "I'm open to any suggestions."

The first comment was, "You, my friend, are _disgustingly_ modest." Which earned the platinum blond a slap upside the head, courtesy of the resident tailor and finance-manager.

"Hidan. Shut up." The behemoth of a man deadpanned in a rumbling baritone.

"What's the concept?" Nagato interrupted.

"Well," Naruto stalled, "there wasn't really a concept."

"You're hedging. You always have a concept when you design." No one - least of all, Naruto - could fool Gaara. He was incredibly perceptive, especially when it came to his work.

"Okay," the blond stammered before regaining his voice, "I was thinking of how clothing is so gendered nowadays. Even _Jinchuuriki_ subscribes to gender-exclusive clothing. I think a unisex clothing line would put more emphasis on individuality, rather than how feminine or masculine you are."

"Hmm." There was a chorus of nods around the room. When it was clear that all important questions had been asked, Gaara quickly delegated the jobs and sent everyone off.

"Hidan, look into accessories for the three designs. Deidara will make a couple prints for the first design, while Sasori will make the prints for the second and third. Nagato, please consult Hinata for suitable material for the mixed-media pieces. Kakuzu and Konan will start tailoring them for the crude configurations."

Once the pieces were reexamined by their marketing expert and sales rep, there would be the making of advertisements, which involved contacting photographers, the models, and set-designers to prepare the backdrop. Then finally sales. Sometimes, the lengthy process they went through seemed to dwarf the design. But then, they would see the final placard above the main sales area and it would all be worth it.

Soon it was, "Uzumaki! I need an opinion on this!" and "Deidara, get your butt to work!" And pandemonium resumed in the headquarters of _Jinchuuriki_.

* * *

After a productive day at _Kyuubi_ , the boutique under which _Jinchuuriki_ was founded and operated, the staff would usually file over to Naruto's apartment to mooch off their boss's delicious cooking. But since noticing his friend's drooping posture, Gaara steered the wayward group to their regular joint, Akimichi's Sushi, a block away. It was run by Naruto's high school friend, and they so often got a discount.

"Chouji!" Naruto shouted over the bedlam of his staff get-together.

"Naruto!" His jovial friend greeted. "Back again, I see!"

"Yup!" He clamoured, "Give me ramen!"

Chouji merely laughed, having readied a bowl as soon as he heard the commotion outside his establishment. Gaara rolled his eyes.

"Naruto. How are you and Sasuke doing?" He sometimes blindsided his friend purposefully knowing that Naruto was all-too-good at dodging uncomfortable topics otherwise. Now that they were outside the workplace, personal questions were fair game.

"Hmm," the blond muttered noncommittally through his ramen. "Remind me to notify the city that the streetlights seem to be broken."

His companion sighed at the not-so-subtle deflection. He knew that when his closest friend got this way, there was nothing more he could do. Naruto could out-stubborn Ino, their exclusive model, on a bad-hair day. It happened once for a photoshoot when the hyper blond withheld her clothes - she was in the midst of changing behind the curtained room - purse, and phone until she agreed to the job.

He was the epitome of pigheadedness. And so, Gaara did the sensible thing and waited him out. The blond usually gave out in the end after a couple hours of uncomfortable silence of Gaara's blank stare into the back of his head.

The end, it turned out, was far in sight. Naruto had yet to relent on the subject, even as they were filing back to their cars a block away. The duo stopped beside his red Beetle, as the others waved goodbye. As it was now, the familiar boutique seemed to loom over him, ever-so-threateningly. Naruto wouldn't meet Gaara's stare, instead, opting to study the cobblestone under his feet.

Gaara sighed. It was a more serious matter than he'd thought.

"I'm coming over tomorrow for dinner." He finally said.

"What?" Naruto squawked, finally meeting his friend's perceptive eyes. He sighed to himself before relenting with a quiet, "Fine."

Then, "Want to visit the cineplex first and grab a movie with me? We can watch kids stick their buttery fingers up their noses." Naruto snickered.

"And be dragged into whatever misadventure you may stumble into next? No thank you."

The blond laughed heartily, watching his good friend walk to his sleek black Lexus and drive away. Then he went home to his empty flat and lonely bed.

* * *

Let me know if the characters are getting too OC.

Made this chapter much, MUCH longer out of love for those who reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. Thanks for the support! Please keep reviewing. It gives me the motivation to update.


	3. Cat's Cradle

**Chapter 3 Cat's Cradle**

* * *

T Minus 18 Days

The flat ringing of his cell startled him out of a dreamless slumber and he cursed the gods of technology for it. It'd been a while since he'd had a good night's rest and he was feeling the strain more often of late.

"Y'ello?" He slurred.

"Naruto?" A soft, effeminate voice filtered through the speaker, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Sakura." He murmured groggily as he pulled the sheets off and sat up, squinting at the analog clock that read 10:30 am. Sakura, ever so punctual. "It's okay, I needed a wake up call."

"A _what_ call?"

She, like most productive, healthy _crème de la crème_ of society, was of the opinion that sleeping in past 10 should be illegal. He laughed as he made his way to the bathroom. "What were you calling about?"

"Oh!" She squealed, "Guess what? I got a promotion today!"

"What? Congratulations Sakura! That's amazing! Did you tell Ino yet?"

"No! She's out of town for that fashion show. You're the first one I called!"

"That's great Sakura! You definitely deserve it." He made his way to the kitchen to get started on brunch.

"Thanks Naruto!" She squeaked, "I'm so excited! Starting monday, I get to work directly with Sasuke! You remember him right?"

He winced internally. He should've been used to this by now.

"Of course! You call just to remind me every other day. How could I forget?" His laugh seemed fake even to him, but she didn't question it.

"I'm so excited! I met him in the lounge the day before last and he smiled at me! I really think I have a chance, Naruto!" She gushed.

"That's great." He murmured, but his waning excitement for her wasn't noticed in the slightest. "It's a dream come true for you, huh?"

"That's right!" She squealed. Since elementary they had been unable to withhold their enthusiasm from each other. Best friends since young and all that. "What about you? How have you been? How's Gaara and everyone?"

"Ah. They're all good! Chaotic as usual, but they do good work." He chuckled, grateful for the change in topic. When Sakura had good news, she would often interrogate him, looking for any aspect in his life where she could butt in - with good intentions, of course, - in order to share the happiness. He plated his eggs and hash browns, a simple breakfast only because he was too tired for more elaborate cooking.

"Of course! I should've guessed!" Her soft laughter chimed throughout his flat. Her voice seemed nonmaterial, the occasional cackle interrupting it from the speakerphone. He made his way to the sofa, his customary brunch spot, and turned on the television as she kept chattering. He knew her well; sometimes she only needed an ear, not a response. Yet, when he alighted on a cooking channel - halfway through a particularly difficult method of marinating rough meat for a steak - her last sentence sunk in.

"-engaged, but you don't think so, right?"

Snapping out of his reverie, he chucked sheepishly. "I didn't catch that last part, what did you say?" He stared intently at the black phone.

"Geez, Naruto. I asked you whether you think he's actually engaged. I mean, its not like I believe the rumours either but there's always some element of truth to them. So it might be wrong just to completely dismiss it, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed after a slight pause.

"Yes? To what? You think he might be engaged?"

He knew that Sakura wanted someone to assuage her fears, to tell her that there was a chance for her. And yet, he couldn't be that person. Not when he himself couldn't be sure about anything regarding his so-called lover.

He exhaled. "Well, nothing in the world is sure. You might want to ask him yourself since you're working with him now."

He knew it was vindictive; part of him wanted Sakura to be turned down by Sasuke. He also knew it wasn't going to happen. Sasuke would say what he always said; 'No, I'm not in a relationship and I'm not interested in one at the moment.' Still, a part of him wanted to be proven wrong. The part of him that was selfish and gave him uneasy spasms of anxiety in the pit of his stomach whenever he flitted on that issue. Maybe, possibly, _he thought_ , he would be more settled if Sasuke acknowledged that he was in a relationship. But that was selfish to ask.

Sakura sighed dejectedly over the phone, and his chest constricted at the sound.

He was becoming a terrible person, wishing heartbreak on someone as kind and sweet as Sakura. And what for? For the dregs of a relationship that had become more of an affair, a sex-friends relationship? Maybe they were better as friends, like the good ol' days. When had there become a distinction between the good and the bad days? What was left for them now? But then, he was getting lost in those darks thoughts again, and the phone was barking at him.

"Naruto!"

"Ah! Sakura, sorry! I kinda zoned out there." He laughed it off.

"Are you okay Naruto? I've been calling you for 2 minutes there." The lilt in her tone confessed her concern. He could almost taste her near-palpable worry.

"Just great!" He laughed, "Still sleepy, I guess. I might go take a nap."

Ever the tactful friend, Sakura took the cue for what it was, quickly bid her friend well, and hung up.

The deafening silence that followed felt like both an affliction and a relief. Talking to Sakura was straining, but it was also dangerous to be alone with his thoughts. Which, was why a couple hours later, he ended up at the movie theatre licking butter off his fingers while Gaara looked on with disdain.

"That's enough, Naruto. We didn't watch an explicit comedy just to fuel your lewd imaginations."

"Are you offering?" The blond waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making more obscene gestures with his hands.

To his delight, this was met with a rare quirk of the lips, and an even rarer chuckle. Shooting the redhead an impish grin, he said with no small amount of sincerity, "Thanks for coming with me, Gaara."

"Of course, Naruto." The smirk slipped into a minuscule smile. "We were going to have dinner tonight anyways."

"Right!" Naruto crowed, "What did you want to eat? We have time to go grocery shopping right now."

"Curry."

"Heh," the blond gibed. " _You can't handle the spice!_ " And to Gaara's great and utter dismay, the blonde flourished an arm in a flagrant manner, attracting the attention of a small flock of movie-goers. While, _he_ ended up on the other end of the blond's buttery finger and apish grin. Heat burned in his pale cheeks as he grabbed the finger - blond and all - and towed him out of the building.

"I can't take you anywhere." Gaara shook his head with an exasperated sigh. The blond, still grinning as he was relinquished, quickly righted himself. Gaara wiped his now-dirty hand on his pants as they headed for the grocers.

* * *

The sun had set by the time they finished dinner, followed by an unhealthy (and seemingly impossible) portion of marbled ice cream. Naruto almost expected Gaara to ask, but to his surprise, Gaara instead suggested that they head down to the coffee shop attached to the lobby. They were both sleepy after the movie and needed a good shot of caffeine.

A five-minute elevator ride later, the twosome stood in front of the shop when Naruto very eloquently said, "Oh."

"Forgot they closed early today." Gaara intoned. Then turning away, he added, "We'll go to the Starbucks down the street."

Naruto dutifully followed, though they quickly found that the Starbucks seven blocks away had also closed.

"Hm," Gaara grunted. "We'll go to this coffee shop I know that's open late."

Never one to quit, Naruto let Gaara lead the way, musing about his friend's addiction to that caffeinated goodness. Exactly 15 minutes later, they ended up in front of a strangely familiar building. Naruto couldn't help but be cognizant of the desire to turn and run the other way.

But before Naruto could stop him, Gaara walked right on in and had already stepped up to the cashier. Catching the expectant look on his friend's face, he took a breath and entered, not bothering to hide a confused frown.

"A caffè macchiato, please."

"And an espresso for me, please." Gaara paid and they sat by the windowed wall along the far side, just hidden from the door. It was empty save for an elderly woman by the door.

The CEO pinned his associate with a hard stare, "Why'd we come to this cafe, Gaara?"

"For the coffee." His friend droned, head and posture slanted to the side. Gaara wasn't even looking at him.

"Gaara."

No response. Not even when he gripped his friend's arm with more force than necessary. Until, of course, the moment the door slid open, signalling the entry of the fourth late-night patron of the evening.

The newcomer cast his gaze about the barren cafe before he locked onto them. He strode to them with purpose in his steps, chin set, and a regal air about him. It called to mind one of the many nights before.

 _"Wine or beer?_

 _It was his way of asking whether his lover would stay the night. When they had been friends, it had been beer at dinnertime. Enough to get drunk, pass out on the couch, wake up in the morning and laugh at each other's hungover state. Wine, though, meant one cup. It meant he was driving home. He didn't know why he still asked, since the answer was always the same._

 _"Wine."_

 _An apathetic shrug of one shoulder. He resumed his perusal of that day's paper._

Today, those shoulders were taut, just as unyielding as ever. But gone was the apathy, and in lieu, anger flickered in the seemingly endless depths of those eyes.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice was surprisingly unwavering.

"Naruto," The seemingly angry statue nodded his head in acknowledgement before directing his gaze to Gaara and in true juvenile fashion, snarled, "What do you want?"

How had it come to this.

The instigator merely nodded his red mop at the empty chair he'd pulled up. "Sit."

Despite the glaring animosity, Sasuke sprawled himself in the chair, looking for all the world as though he belonged there. A mask of disinterest splayed across his handsome features.

Taking a gander at the two most probable important people in his life, Naruto knew by the twisting of his gut, where this conversation would go. He looked away and dearly wished he had opted for staying at home that evening.

"Who is Naruto to you?" The redhead sat between the two, across from the window out of which Naruto was resolutely staring. He could see the blond's reflection; face strained and eyes slightly out of focus. The blond remained silent, as though he too wanted to hear the response.

"He's my lover," was the simple answer.

"Then why are you still single?" He held up a tabloid to prove his point.

"That's just a public face. There's no need for what's private to be leaked to the public."

"Oh?" The deep baritone of Gaara's voice dipped into treacherous waters.

"Then _what_ ," he stressed, "is this about an engagement?"

Naruto flinched. Gaara knew. Of course Gaara knew. He would find out through his contacts in the media, if not through Sakura. How he had found out, _Naruto supposed by the severity of his tone_ (which reflected the reliability of his information), suggested the latter. Sakura had probably called him after she hung up on Naruto.

Although he didn't react outwardly, Sasuke, too, recognized the statement for what it was. _A_ _threat_. And it was only familiarity with Gaara's background that reined in a snarky remark of 'None of your business.' Instead, he righted himself in the chair, looked resolutely into the endless blue that flickered to his face, and answered, "I'm not engaged."

The knot in Naruto's stomach loosened a little at the sincerity of those black eyes.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Naruto. You should know that."

He did. He knew that Sasuke would never go behind his back to cheat on him. No, Sasuke would straighten out all ends and cut all ties before courting someone else. There was no merit, no logic, in cheating.

Gaara, however, seemed to deliberate the answer a little more. Finally he huffed, "fine." Pushing his mug of espresso away, he pulled Naruto up and excused them. "We have work early tomorrow morning," which Naruto knew to mean that Gaara had something to say in private. They were the bosses, and could theoretically dictate their hours. With little more than a wave goodbye, Sasuke dismissed them. He was obviously fatigued himself.

* * *

Outside the building - which he now recognized as Sasuke's apartment complex - Naruto gently pried himself from Gaara's grasp.

"Gaara. I know you're just trying to help, but you have to let this go-" He started.

"Naruto." He gazed meaningfully into his long-time friend's anxious face. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. But there are things that I see that you can't from where you are. I know you're doing your best, but take a step back."

And doing so himself, the redhead gave his arm one last comforting squeeze before he turned and headed the opposite direction.

The blond walked home in the dark. Coat, tightly drawn around him.

Naruto understood Sasuke at a deeper level. He understood too well. Sasuke's decisions always made sense; he would reach for the most logical answer to a problem and there would be no counterarguments. Naruto couldn't ask for _more_ , when _more_ made so little sense. _More_ was selfish. But what more could he do to make Sasuke stay? What more could he give when he felt like he had nothing left?

For all the compromises they've made, Naruto seemed to be a little less happy, a little more tired, squeezed a little more dry. Despite that, there was _nothing_ he wouldn't do for his important people. If taking a step back, when Naruto so wanted to take a step closer, was something Sasuke needed, he would help lessen the burden any way he could. Even if it meant being squeezed a little more dry.

* * *

Dear, wonderful, and awesome readers! You may not get what's happening yet, but there are major clues in this chapter. If you can hazard a guess, drop me a line of what you want to happen next! It just might happen.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, and loving.


	4. Click click click

**Chapter 4 Click click click**

* * *

T Minus 17 Days

The quiet and steady clicking of the keyboard filled the room with what should've been comforting white noise. But every tap of those keys grated on his nerves; almost too loud, as though they were knocks on his throbbing skull. It probably had to do with him downing several glasses after seeing Naruto last night.

He didn't drink often. No, by no means was he an alcoholic. He indulged on the occasion - during corporate afterparties, charity dinners, at Naruto's place - but he was so very tired recently and the obvious unease of his happy-go-lucky lover only added to his already-frayed nerves. Alcohol was a simple solution to a complex problem that would take more time to address than he had to spare. So, he soothed over the nagging twist in his gut with the pretext that ' _time and energy better spent equates success and happiness_.' And wasn't that true. Every Uchiha patriarch learned and taught the timeless modus operandi of a successful business and a happy life: work first, everything else will fall into place. It ensured his time and energy would generate profit, and was well-spent. He rarely had any time for himself nowadays, let alone for Naruto. Had he the time to spare. For now, alcohol would quiet his agitation. Well no, that wasn't completely true either. The sense of unease didn't go away; it lingered under the haze of work and alcohol and _busy, busy, busy_. Really, it bordered on the edge of annoying.

It was work before relationships. It had always been.

Naruto would concede that point. He had his own business to run. Yet, last night kept resurfacing to the forefront of his mind: the blond's out-turned gaze, his reflection in the window, was so obscured in the bleak darkness outside that it was uncomfortably indecipherable. Naruto had always been easy to read, so the memory raised red flags. Another problem he didn't have time to deal with.

When he looked up from the keyboard, he found that he'd been holding down the space bar. Now there was a large blank space where there should've been the beginnings of a cost-benefit analysis.

"Fuck," he cursed. He jammed his index finger persistently on the backspace key.

His poor migraine couldn't have been worse if he'd taken a hammer to his head. And he knew it would only get worse from there. Nothing good ever happened when he had a migraine. Which, was probably why he wasn't as surprised at the president's impromptu visit that afternoon. His office doors slid open with a solemn creak.

"Itachi."

"Little brother," was the reply.

"What brings you to this part of Tokyo?" He drawled nonchalantly in an effort to hide his late-night drinking.

"You've been drinking."

Of course, it wouldn't work.

"Your eyes are red and your face is slightly swollen." Itachi raised an eyebrow, pointedly.

There was nothing wrong with his face, he was sure. He'd checked the mirror this morning, and he looked as immaculate as ever. Though, this was Itachi. Of course Itachi could tell two shades off-white from three shades off-white, if there ever was a difference.

"It's nothing," Sasuke muttered.

With the way in which his little brother looked away from him, gaze down-turned and fists clenched in his lap, the elder knew it wasn't 'nothing.' He paused momentarily at the stubborn set of that jaw. He could continue the line of questioning and get his answers immediately. But Sasuke, with drooped shoulders and tense eye fissures, looked more exhausted than he had been for months. So, as would an older brother looking out for his younger brother, he would leave it alone. For now. The persistent gleam in his eyes probably gave away his intent, since Sasuke flinched minutely when he looked up.

A small but brief smile crossed his face as he turned for the door.

"Father called a family gathering for next Sunday. Sleep well, little brother." And he closed the office doors to the too-large and too-bare room behind him with a resounding click. It's said the state of one's office reflected oneself. Evidence that their shared upbringing and spartan education did them no favours. Yet, he'd learnt early on that there existed things more important than the precedent and logic that his father, and his father's father before him, preached. As best he could, he tried to shield his younger brother from the politics of it. Unsuccessful, though, he may be, not all was lost. He remembered dearly how those innocent black eyes used to twinkle in admiration and devotion as they looked up at him. Sasuke would learn sooner or later, and he would be there to look out for his dearest little brother.

Sasuke sighed in the empty silence. He needed aspirin. It was from lack of foresight that he didn't restock when he ran out last week. He desperately needed it now. Probably later in the week too, seeing as how he'd have to face up to his father at yet another ritzy corporate gathering under the label, 'family reunion.' Making a quick decision, he gathered his coat in hand and bid his assistant goodbye for the day.

"H-have a good evening Mr. Uchiha!" She stammered. It didn't invoke the normal smug satisfaction he had at intimidating his employees.

He didn't bother sparing his secretary a glance, but she still flinched as he walked by. Last week, she had proved herself incompetent and she would soon be replaced. The corporate world bore no leniency, especially in his company.

The front desk clerk greeted him, ready with his car keys. He shook his head at the old man. The pharmacy was a mere 5 blocks away. He could walk to clear his head.

There was a strange warmth spreading from his chest as he passed by the alleyway where he'd snogged Naruto many weeks ago. The subtle yet putrid smell only made the ache in his head worse. A niggling at the back of his head told him the state of the gritty wall and the lingering dust hadn't mattered when he'd been there with Naruto. He rubbed a palm against his sternum to ease the tingling. What was it?

 _Nostalgia_ , that was the word. And what a weird word it was.

It made no sense, like much of the world around him. Why would people choose to reminisce in the past, in things that have little-to-no impact on the present? He would never understand it. It was why he build his own world from the ground up - with things that made sense, things that were logical and fluid. There was no value in illogical, inconsequential things like _nostalgia_.

When he first met Naruto, their relationship had also been as straightforward. They had clicked. From close friendship, it had become a whirlwind love affair that seemed to steep too fast, too quickly.

Despite the awkward lull in conversation now and then, he would say their relationship was going well. Sometimes there were distinct pauses where he wondered if he should offer something more to the conversation or otherwise, but eventually they would move past it onto more _pleasurable_ activities. Naruto couldn't stand silence for too long. There was nothing wrong with that. Although those awkward silences were prevailing over the past couple weeks, it was nothing to expend more energy to worry over. Naruto would get over whatever problem he had soon enough. And if Naruto didn't get over it within the next week, he would snap his idiot blond out of it. Make him see reason.

Things were going reasonably well for the both of them. Their relationship was give and take. He had a great lover, a great company and staff, people who were willing to go out of their way just to glimpse at him and supply his every need. He had a freedom he'd never known as a child growing up in the Uchiha estate.

Yes, things should be perfect. He hurried his steps. He really needed that aspirin.

* * *

By the time he got into work that morning - fairly later than usual - Naruto found that he had an infestation problem. Or, more accurately, a female-friends-interrupting-work-and-commandeering-workers-for-non-work-purposes problem. It looked as though the fairy queen of lace and satin had strutted her way into the space and thrown up pink-and-white all over the furnishings. The entrance - now a dynamic cushioned seating-area with soft white curtains - opened up to a large open boutique with two symmetrical rows of chairs (in white) cordoned off by rustic wooden end tables with floral centerpieces and candles, accented (of course) in pink. Despite these, the prime focal point of the room was a gothic-and-modern golden chandelier that spanned a full metric radius of 3 feet, white organza hung from the arms to the rafters. That had _definitely_ not been there when he first contracted the place.

He was almost tempted to go outside to check if he'd entered the right building. But _Kyuubi_ was only one architectural marvel on the entire block that incorporated both modern and gothic aesthetic elements. What's more, there was no mistaking the loud and obnoxious antics of his staff. Particularly Deidara, who was precariously balanced on the outside of the railings, in the middle of wrapping the same organza around the post of the stairs on the second floor landing.

"-'m not lightweight! And I see no reason why you can't do this instead," he shouted through the roll of clear tape clenched between his teeth.

He was answered by a strawberry blonde who could only be Sakura, "I'm not as coordinated as you and I have to direct the other preparations." She originally had very light brown hair but repeated bleaching had permanently changed the base root colour. He'd told her the thirtieth time that it couldn't be good for her. Well, she was as stubborn as him if not more so and she liked the colour despite it's brittleness, so it couldn't be helped.

"And _what_ , pray tell, are these preparations?"

Naruto stepped further into the room, drawing the attention of the staff who all froze in their hustle and bustle.

"Naruto!" Sakura broke into a wide grin and launched herself across the room at him. Unlike the other staffers whose hands rubbed nervously together, she had no qualms about pushing him around. It was one of the things about her that both aggravated and endeared her to him. It was also what made her so difficult to work with before she'd resigned more than a couple months ago. They were too similar on that front.

"Naruto! Help me," she wheedled shamelessly, "I have a convention tomorrow to organize and the place I reserved suddenly called and canceled on me because a leak broke in the ceiling. Please, can I borrow your studio here?"

Why me, he sighed. As though psychic, Sakura immediately turned her wide blue eyes on him in her ultimate Doey-Eyed Look. (It wasn't quite up to par with his Ultimate Puppy Stare, but it was compelling enough to deserve caps.)

"Fine," he mumbled, "seeing as how you've already set up before I even got here." But no one heard his words because Sakura squealed and jumped up with a " _Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_ " She then set him up with more white and gold accents and sent him adrift.

"Come on people! Time's a-wasting!"

By the time they finished, it was mid-afternoon and his staffers were cranky, exhausted, and hungry - a _terrible_ combination. Naruto fared no better, seeing as his better aesthetic senses had appealed to him, and he'd had to rearrange everything so the pink accents wouldn't make one's eyes bleed. (With the argument that it was _his_ place, he'd not-so-subtlely replaced most of the extraneous pink wall and table decor with tasteful beige accents that went well with the gold.) It'd been a long and tiring day. So while Sakura was busy confirming the catering details for the next day, he sent everyone home with a 'good work today.'

On the way out, Sasori, who'd only met Sakura today as he was Sakura's replacement after she left, clapped a hand on Naruto's shoulder and muttered, "She's a monster. Good luck."

There were good-natured complaints and murmurs of agreement as his staff filed out. He still needed to sign off on a couple fabric orders for his design submission so he couldn't leave quite just yet.

"Naruto?" It seemed Sakura had finished her phone call.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for this." She gave him a truly grateful smile.

"No problem Sakura. I'm just awesome like that," he laughed and struck up a pose, "Be awed by my generosity."

She giggled at his posturing as she tidied up a few misplaced arrangements. Her heels clicking loudly in the recently-emptied hall. Naruto couldn't help but think it must be hard being so OCD about things. Well, _he supposed_ , when it came to his designs, he could also be called a perfectionist. He leaned over to help her readjust a centrepiece.

"So," she said. And her tone of voice was so terribly familiar; it was the one where she was nervous and didn't know how to word something delicately and so would bulldoze her way through. He just knew he wouldn't like what was coming next.

"Ino's back today," she continued. He blinked. That was unexpected.

"And she brought one of her colleagues back with her."

Ah, he thought, there it was.

"And he's really sweet, smart, and good-looking. Nothing like your ex. And I just know he'd be perfect for you if you give him a chance! Come on, Naruto! It's been so long since you've let someone else make you happy. I mean you're always making your friends happy and you're the best friend a girl could ask for. And you've really got nothing to lose!" She took a deep breath. He could see she was about to continue but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura, I'm not looking for a relationship," he sighed. He was doing that more recently. Sighing. It couldn't be healthy. "But I'll let you know when I'm ready for one." He smiled. It was an act of contrition. With Sakura, he needed to compromise or she would never let him hear the end of it.

"You've been saying that for two years already. It's been more than three years since your last relationship! Come on, Naruto. You don't even have to be romantically interested! He can be a really great friend!"

She clearly wasn't going to let this one go, he thought. Well, there was no harm in having more friends.

"Sure. I'll meet him."

Sakura cheered. She really was a great friend, he chucked. He didn't deserve her.

"Okay! Tonight, nine o'clock at Akatsuki! I'll set it up." She whipped out her mobile.

"Wait! I have something else tonight. I can't." He chuckled nervously as she eye him with suspicion. She probably thought he was going to push it off until he didn't have to go. So he hastily added, "But I'm free the night after tomorrow! After the convention?"

A smile eased away her frown and she seemed to accept the excuse. "Okay! The night after, then! And he'll be at the convention tomorrow so I can introduce the two of you."

"Great," he laughed nervously, rubbing his head in a sheepish gesture.

* * *

Let me know what you think!


	5. Skin Deep

**Chapter 5 Skin Deep**

* * *

T Minus 17 Days

Some last-minute preparations saw Naruto out the door late that night, long after everyone had gone home to bed. Sweet heavenly cradle of pillows and blankets, _that_ bed. He couldn't wait to crash after such a long day of cramming Sakura's convention into his building. Heaven knows why her boss would give her a convention to plan during her transition between jobs. As far as he know, she hadn't even moved into her new desk and position.

He had just eased his tired limbs into his baby, when his cell _pinged_ twice. A hand-me-down from Gaara, actually, after Naruto lost his phone to the sewers when some poor kid bumped into him one day. Gaara never needed it for anything more than calling and texting, and so until he saved enough for a newer model or bribed one of his friends for theirs, he was stuck with the clunky dinosaur.

He had two messages from Sasuke:

 _Are you busy?_

 _I thought I'd drop by with dinner._

As ever, a man of few words, he chuckled.

 _Sure_ , he texted back, _I'll be home in 10._ As soon as it was sent, his phone pinged again.

 _I'm already at the door. Your doorman let me in._

Naruto easily maneuvered his Beetle down the vacant street. It was just like the bastard to assume he was free for dinner. Though they usually spent at least saturdays at his place, he was often free on tuesdays, his day for slacking off after submitting his own work and signing off on final projects on mondays. Tuesday was usually a good day. Usually. Though, a heads-up would be nice every once in a while. After all, his flat was often the rendezvous point for his crazy staffers.

They ran amok around his place so often that he'd had to offer tribute (in the form of cooking or baked goods) to his neighbours to stay in their good books. Though it paid back with every party or 'small gettogether'; at least one of his neighbours showed up with party treats. When, of course, his staff and neighbours jointly raided his fridge for his cooking, and lit up the entire block with their noise. In the end, he still had the odd noise complaint from the old lady three blocks down.

These spastic forays into his privacy were part of the reason why he hadn't given Sasuke a key. In fact, no one but Gaara had a spare. His close friend had demanded a key after that one time he had passed out in his flat from overworking himself. (It was only _one time_!) He recalled waking up on the stretcher to the near-palpable worry in his friend's eyes. The rescue-and-transport team, however, couldn't see past the redhead's stoic and intimidating exterior. He nearly laughed out loud as the terrorized paramedics asked him nervous questions under Gaara's watchful gaze. He had good friends.

Pulling into the street parking, he quickly made his way up to his flat on the fourth floor, where he could see Sasuke leaning detachedly by the door. He had the figure of a model and even better posture. His long legs were emphasized by the pressed navy slacks, a simple button up that tapered about the waist to accentuate his slim torso, and expensive shoes. A paper bag of takeout sat next to his feet. He was captivating. A darkly handsome libertine.

When his eyes met and lingered a little longer than polite on Naruto's battered form, he arched an eyebrow.

"Long day?"

"Too long," Naruto chuckled feebly. He passed by to unlock and open the door, "C'mon in."

With a faint frown, he took off his shoes, placing them neatly by the door and followed the blonde in. "I brought Mediterranean," he commented as he unpacked the trays of rich smelling food. Naruto immediately _whooped_ and _oohed_ appreciatively. Good food was well-received on any day, good or bad, apparently.

On the one hand, Sasuke sometimes mused that food would always be the number one love of Naruto's life. On the other hand, he was glad the blond was easily mollified. He'd had several lovers who, at first, appeared low-maintenance, but quickly became stifling to be around. They demanded attention, restricting his nightly outings to venues where he couldn't catch unwanted attention, which admittedly were very few. When it had gotten dangerously one-sided, obsessive almost, he had cut it off. He succeeded more often than not but these few insane hangers-on had stalked him, staked out his apartment to the point where he just didn't invite anyone over anymore. When he'd explained, Naruto understood; some people just had certain peculiarities and varying comfort levels. In exchange, Sasuke reasoned he would turn up at Naruto's flat. Save him the trouble of commuting.

"Did you bring baklava?" The blond had a sweet tooth, for sure.

"Of course."

They had set up at the kitchen island since the place settings were already set up there.

"Thish iz goohd," Naruto said around a mouthful of olive and chicken pizza. Something he did (along with overstuffing his mouth with food) in order to gross out his more prudish friends. Hey, they eventually laughed along with him.

"Idiot! Close your mouth while you chew!" Though his lips twitched in amusement as Sasuke took a decently-sized bite into his slice.

"Yes, Gaara." To which, Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think I need to hear about your Oedipus complex, do I?" He smirked, "For your puerile brain, that's sexual attraction for your mother."

"Fuck you!" Naruto laughing slightly as he reached for a slice of the traditional Hawaiian pizza. "I know what it is. And you're just jealous of what we have." He stuck his chin out at him.

Instead of the light-hearted T-M-I he was expected, Sasuke's dark, dark eyes regarded him seriously.

"Have I something to be jealous of?"

Naruto, though slightly put off by the question, lightly scoffed at him, "No, you know we've been besties since the womb. What brought that on?"

Sasuke gave a small shrug and turned back to his last bite. "It's obvious he cares about you a lot, maybe a little obsessively. Maybe you should.. _reconsider_ his point of view."

It wasn't outright, but Naruto noticed the tension in his tone. He frowned, "Gaara's not obsessive. He's just very loyal to the small group of friends that he chooses. You could be one of them, you know. If you would get your head out of your ass enough to actually try."

His guest shrugged again, with noticeably more tension in his jaw. He didn't look up from poking at the tomato slice on his plate. "Its just an observation, it's clearly more than loyalty on his part."

Naruto turned in his chair, hands fisted on the counter, to face Sasuke. "It's clear? To who, Sasuke? You? And you're the expert on emotions, are you?" There was no mistaking the animosity in his tone and Sasuke turned to face the fire in those blue eyes. If he had to admit, it had been a long time since he'd seen that burn, felt the rush of adrenaline that always came with their 'exchanges.'

"I didn't say that-"

"What, what did you mean to say? 'Cause it's pretty clear you're thinking Gaara has a thing for me."

"Well, you haven't discouraged it, have you?"

"So what? You're thinking I've left it alone 'cause I'm using him? That I'm leading him on for what? For jokes?"

"No, I didn't say that. But you can't deny that you let him in more than most people." _More than me._

"He's my best friend, Sasuke!" He threw his hands up almost violently. His finger catching on the empty plate and jolting it with a loud ' _Clang_.' It echoed in the stilted silence between them, their eyes locked, anger and frustration unmistakable in Naruto's heated gaze. _Why_ he was so angry, Sasuke didn't know. The blond was being unreasonable, more so than usual. He only told it like it was.

Finally Sasuke, in a coldly impassive tone, broke his gaze. "Considering how many ' _best friends_ ' you have, do you even need a lover?"

Naruto heard more than felt the blood rushing to his head. His ears burned furiously and the muscles in his jaw jumped with each heated breath. His voice was cold, colder even than Sasuke's when he breathed lowly, " _Are you seriously asking me that?_ "

Seeing that cold fury in those icy blue eyes, Sasuke suddenly regretted his decision to come over despite his migraine. He hadn't meant to accuse Naruto of cheating, or even the near-occasion of cheating, but he couldn't take it back. It was true; it had crossed his mind more than once, seeing Naruto's closer-than-normal relationships with his 'friends.' But that didn't give him the right to point fingers. Not when he knew he was being hypocritical.

"Are you serious?" The blond repeated, "After what you've said, and your less-than-caring attitude. You're an emotionless bastard. Don't pretend that you care _one bit_ about my _'friends'_ or their _feelings_."

He stood up rapidly, the chair scraping the floor with force as he snatched his keys up. "Whatever, Naruto," He spat coldly, ignoring the slight hurt he felt at those words. He wouldn't stay a second longer to listen to Naruto's tirade about friendship and loyalty and shit. His head felt like it was being split in half, and his eyes twinged slightly. As he slipped on his shoes and walked out the door, he heard Naruto sigh through his teeth.

Damn. He left his aspirin at his apartment.

* * *

Naruto cleaned with lethargy, dumping the pizza crusts into the garbage and piling dishes into warm water to wash tomorrow. It was supposed to be a relaxing evening with wine and conversation and Sasuke. Instead his long day just became longer. Lately, it seemed all his time spent with Sasuke banked that way. The initial bite and burn that faded into occasional twinges, like a cut that penetrated his skin.

He didn't want to think about it. He had to get up in 5 hours to rush to _Kyuubi_ for auditory adjustments and catering. The staff were dismissed for tomorrow, so it was up to he and Sakura to make sure the convention ran smoothly. He was excited about it earlier, but his fatigue took the wind from his sails. Hopefully he would have energy enough after a good nights sleep. It would be another long day.

* * *

Sorry for the wait!

Author's Note: Chapter 3 & 4 have been fleshed out a little bit but with no major changes. I'd like to redo the first chapter too since it's a bit too dramatic for my tastes.


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